Simon Weaver welcomed Harrogate’s return to their no frills, non-league roots after boosting their Football League survival hopes with a 2-0 win away at Barrow.
Jack Muldoon scored his first league goal of the season after 56 minutes and then provided an assist for Josh March to double Town’s lead five minutes later.
Connor Mahoney skied a 74th minute penalty for the hosts after taking the ball off substitute Ged Garner as Harrogate ended a winless run stretching back to an FA Cup tie on November 29.
Promoted from the National League alongside Barrow in 2020, Harrogate’s first victory in eight victory lifted them five points above the drop zone.
“It is only one win but it goes some way to bridging the gap between ourselves and several teams ahead of us,” said delighted boss Weaver.
“We got here through spit and sawdust in non-league by battling.
“While we may never have been perfect, the battling qualities have been perfect. Some people have lost sight of that at times.
“We know how to fight and today there was evidence of that. The performance was good right from the start.
“You could see in the first 10 minutes everyone was up for the fight. We were organised and didn’t carry any passengers.”
Harrogate’s next game is against Leeds in the FA Cup but Weaver said: “We are fighting for our lives in League Two.
“The priority is staying up for a club like us. We have done it four times on the bounce and we want to do it again.”
Barrow’s recent form has been alarming, with the Cumbrians winning just once in their last 14 league outings.
And manager Stephen Clemence did not sugarcoat his team’s display
“It wasn’t acceptable and we all have to take responsibility, especially myself,” he said.
“I felt we had taken some steps forward in recent weeks but we took some big ones backward.
“Some of our levels were below what we set lately. The Barrow supporters deserve more than that and I can only apologise we didn’t get any points. We didn’t deserve them.”
The Bluebirds and Clemence were booed off at the end.
“What is said about me is said about every head coach,” Clemence added. “I have to accept that.
“Any criticism I get I have to take it on the chin. We are down there for a reason because results haven’t been good enough for a while.
“It is not acceptable and I told the lads after the game. They must give themselves a reality check and can forget trying to challenge for the play-offs. They need to try and win a football game.”
